LOW-CHOLESTEROL CONCENTRATIONS IN FREE-LIVING ELDERLY SUBJECTS - RELATIONS WITH DIETARY-INTAKE AND NUTRITIONAL-STATUS

Hypocholesterolemia has been reported in epidemiologic studies to be a ssociated with increased mortality from noncardiovascular causes. Low cholesterol concentrations have been reported in various pathologic co nditions and in institutionalized elderly patients, and seem to be ass ociated with poor outcome. The role of nutritional factors in the gene sis of hypocholesterolemia was investigated in 380 free-living elderly subjects. Subjects in the lowest cholesterol quartile had lower free triidothyronine and prealbumin concentrations and a lower Folstein's s core (a minimental test) than did those in the other quartiles. They d id not differ from the other subjects for energy or nutrient intakes. Only 12 subjects (9 men and 3 women) had cholesterol concentrations < 3.62 mmol/L: the men had low free triidothyronine, free thyroxine, and prealbumin concentrations but normal energy and nutrient intakes, whe reas the women differed from those with normal cholesterol concentrati ons for biological and nutritional data. These results indicate that l ow cholesterol concentration is a nonspecific feature of poor health s tatus that is independent of nutrient or energy intake. The role of nu trient factors as a determinant of cholesterol concentration appears m arginal in free-living elderly subjects.